Sky Brewrose savored the sudden, strange rosy fragrance coming off Dirlop Mountain. It was so much like the rose hedges back at home. The hedges she loved wondering in. Getting lost in. They were ever changing. Unlike this mountain of countless never-changing boulders.

Boulders that were so tall and wide she could barely see where she was going. Only she was headed upward. In a very winding, zigzaggy way.

And a glance in the wrong direction … just how insanely far up she already was. At least a thousand feet. From how that thick canopy below looked more like moss now.

Probably at least a thousand feet.

At least the road itself was chiseled out of the mountain, yet there wasn’t a single crack, let alone any potholes—unlike the treacherous road through the forest below. Sigh. The road even had a sheen. Like the dwarves finished chiseling it just yesterday. Polished it smoother than a fresh rose petal.

Even the wind here was crisp and fresh, unlike that musty forest below. So thick, dark, and so unwelcoming, unlike the forest she called home. Now, up above that canopy, it was finally warm and refreshing again. The sight of the sun too. It blazed well above the forest’s canopy.

That Sky was stuck wearing the traditional garb of an elf maiden, a green form-fitting minidress topped with a cowl that seemed to cover more of her than the minidress itself. Her dark green boots were a light leather and low heeled, but with s0lidly gripping soles. Good for climbing trees and walking along branches. Not so much traveling long distance on paved roads. At least strapped to her left thigh was a razor-sharp dagger.

If only she could wear a dress that was long enough to cover the dagger, but no, mom insisted Sky wear traditional elf maiden garb for this journey.

Sigh.

It didn’t even match her hair, which was as sky blue as her namesake and waist long, since only low-class elf girls kept their hair shorter than their waist. Still, she managed to sneak in a pink belt and pink fingerless gloves.

Even a pink round cap. A gift from another secret admirer.

An admirer she’d probably never met now, since this journey for training was … going to take a long time.

Too long for any secret admirer to stay an admirer.

But the pink heart bra and panties … a gift from another admirer she preferred never to meet, but … sigh, she didn’t toss them either. Or burn them, like mom suggested. Or get them cursed, like her friends suggested (as if she could afford that kind of curse. Just because she had some money …)

But sigh, there was no other chance she’d get another chance to wear anything else except that tradition dark green bra and bottoms—if she hadn’t kept the pervy pink gifts.

That they both were very, very visible in this tradition green minidress. All because it had a long wide notch down the torso’s middle, and a pair of notches down her hips, with only a few thin but strong strings keeping the minidress snuggly around her hips.

So embarrassing. Why mom insisted on this stretchy suggestive dress, despite it being tradition garb …

Sigh.

No matter. Every breathe here was like a draught of the best kind of rosehip mead.

If only she didn’t run out just as she got here.

(And her vial of healing brew didn’t count.)

It was made by her mom. One of the many secret family brews. One her family was especially famous for. So famous her mom hadn’t taught her the details of the brew yet. Only bits and pieces. All to ensure it stayed secret.

Of course, that meant Sky had the money for a quality scimitar bow. A bow made of two scimitars that could snap together by their handles. That once snapped together they formed a magical string connecting the blades, and could fire magical bows or, even, regular arrows.

So, of course, her quiver held a full two dozen arrows. The pine shafts were painted the usual deep green, and feathered with quality cardinal feathers. Even the arrowheads were quality dwarven steel.

And Sky made a point to train as a warrior. To avoid the fate her father suffered at the hands of bandits. Bandits after the recipe of their family’s secret brews.

That’s why she also made a point to build a resistance to black iron, which normally was searing agony, and which also developed some of her resistance to cold iron. Without that resistance, she’d couldn’t even leave the forest she called home. No wood elf was allowed out who didn’t have enough resistance to iron. Not when it could be so dangerous, yet so common.

At least the road here was only a few paces wide here, that might of been the reason for so few travelers coming up from this direction. Another reason she chose this way.

There was plenty of room for a slender elf like herself, but barely enough space for any of the stout dwarf merchants that often came to visit her home, let alone the wagons that often came with charging far too loud and fast.

Dirlop Mountain wouldn’t have bandits, but Sky didn’t care to circle around the Mountain. Spend more time in that thick murky forest more than she needed to. Not with all the tigermite tribes eager to slaughter anyone who came to close to their constantly changing territory.

Not that Sky didn’t have confidence in her combat skills, but any sensible warrior avoided unnecessary fights.

Especially with other even more skilled warriors.

Especially such bloodthirsty ones.

But the road going up Dirlop Mountain was very winding and curvy. Maybe she could take a short-cut and try a direct approach. Hopping on the larger taller boulders.

Good training too.

Once she opened her spores, she could walk along vertical surfaces, if not very steep ones, but no. Focus on getting to the back gates before lunchtime. Or else she might have to wait outside for hours until the guards returned.

If what her mom had warned her about was true.

And judging by the sun … it was too close to noon for comfort.

Time for a short—the smell of fox?

A sinister giggle?

“Zee dwarves shall never know what hit them.”

A girls’ voice. Behind the sharp curve of the road ahead.

“Pearl. Take care not to be too loud.” a gruff guy said, “A stray dwarf—”

“Will die by my hand,” Pearl said, “Just like the last four. Jaydorn and Gron. Ensure there’s no one coming this way. If there is … kill them quick and painfully—he-he.”

Sky gulped. Bandits? She had to warn the dwarves inside.

Not pick fight she might lose. Not so close to her destination.

Time for a short cut.

Sky style.

So she dashed off the road. Far off the road.

Then with some luck she found a way to hop on top of the boulders. Up and up and up.

And wow, was this place like a forest of jagged boulders. If it weren’t for the incline, she’d have no idea which direction to head in.

So squatting low Sky hopped up the slope.

When Sky heard another sinister giggle.

A few boulders ahead of her.

And below.